SF 4498

Introduction - 94th Legislature (2025 - 2026)

Posted on 03/18/2026 09:28 a.m.

A bill for an act
relating to health; modifying strategies in the comprehensive drug overdose and
morbidity program administered by the commissioner of health; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 144.0528, subdivision 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 144.0528, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Establishment.

The commissioner of health shall establish a comprehensive
drug overdose and morbidity program to conduct comprehensive drug overdose and morbidity
prevention activities, epidemiologic investigations and surveillance, and evaluation to
monitor, address, and prevent drug overdoses statewide through integrated strategies that
include the following:

(1) advance access to evidence-based nonnarcotic pain management services;

(2) implement culturally specific interventions and prevention programs with population
and community groups in greatest need, including those who are pregnant and their infants;

(3) enhance overdose prevention and supportive services for people experiencing
homelessness. This strategy includes funding for emergency and short-term housing subsidies
through the homeless overdose prevention hub and expanding support for syringe services
programs serving people experiencing homelessness statewide;

(4) equip employers to promote health and well-being of employees by addressing
substance misuse and drug overdose deleted text begin ; deleted text end new text begin . Under this strategy, the commissioner of health must:
new text end

new text begin (i) develop and implement a Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative, in consultation
with the commissioner of employment and economic development and the commissioner
of labor and industry;
new text end

new text begin (ii) engage in outreach to the business community to create a public-private partnership;
and
new text end

new text begin (iii) facilitate the adoption by Minnesota employers of recovery friendly workplace
policies and practices;
new text end

(5) improve outbreak detection and identification of substances involved in overdoses
through the expansion of the Minnesota Drug Overdose and Substance Use Surveillance
Activity (MNDOSA);

(6) implement Tackling Overdose With Networks (TOWN) community prevention
programs;

(7) identify, address, and respond to drug overdose and morbidity in those who are
pregnant or have just given birth through multitiered approaches that may:

(i) promote medication-assisted treatment options;

(ii) support programs that provide services in accord with evidence-based care models
for mental health and substance abuse disorder;

(iii) collaborate with interdisciplinary and professional organizations that focus on quality
improvement initiatives related to substance use disorder; and

(iv) implement substance use disorder-related recommendations from the maternal
mortality review committee, as appropriate; and

(8) design a system to assess, address, and prevent the impacts of drug overdose and
morbidity on those who are pregnant, their infants, and children. Specifically, the
commissioner of health may:

(i) inform health care providers and the public of the prevalence, risks, conditions, and
treatments associated with substance use disorders involving or affecting pregnancies,
infants, and children; and

(ii) identify communities, families, infants, and children affected by substance use
disorder in order to recommend focused interventions, prevention, and services.